The surprising thing about life is we have more power and control than we realize.
We have a choice in how we live our lives. But it can often feel that we are trapped, with no options. In this article we'll talk about balance, choices and finding a new way to live.
Let me tell you a TRUE story about two very different people.
One of these people was a workaholic. The other was not.
Both cared deeply about what they did and how they got their work done. But one worked almost twice as many hours as the other.
The first person is this story worked 10–12 hours per day.
He never took more than 20 - 30 mins for lunch. He mostly always ate at his desk. He never had time for a walk, or breaks during the day.
He never got involved with work events and struggled to make new friends.
He worked day and night. And weekends too. He did this because he thought it was the only way to be successful.
His health suffered in the process.
He did whatever his bosses wanted. Like taking calls at 1am to get the work done that didn't really even belong to him. It meant taking on so much stress he would drive home from work and not realize how he got there. At times life was a blur.
The workaholic didn’t realize that there really is NEVER enough you can do for those who want to TAKE from you. That those who TAKE are never really satisfied. And that those who TAKE won't really appreciate it either.
In fact the more you gave THEM, the more THEY expected the next day.
It turned out, he had never learned how to say NO.
It turned out in trying to PROVE his worth to others, he had given his POWER away.
Then one day his good friend Tony asked him, “Well, what WOULD you do if you had free time?”
But sad thing was, the workaholic didn’t know the answer. He had worked so long for someone else's goals he had forgotten HOW to dream.
All the things that were once so important to him had faded away.
Then one day something happened. A realization entered his mind that would change his life. It was a realization that it WAS possible to live the life he wanted. he could see the outline of a blueprint that he could fill in as he went. It would guide him down a path of fulfillment. A way to live that he could practice EVERY single day.
But it wouldn't be easy. He'd need to leave the safety and security of his job behind to start on a new path.
It was a realization that if he continued to work 40 - 60 hours per week for someone else's goals then he'd completely miss the point of life.
Life, as Alan Watts says, is about removing suffering from our lives.
Life is about increasing our happiness in real and meaningful ways.
Life, he realized, was about BALANCE.
So our workaholic friend made a decision. He decided he would take a break from his career. He would still fulfill his contract, because in life it's important to keep our words, but then he'd take time off to figure things out.
He took a break to rediscover what he loved and to make those things a priority.
With his time off, he started work on SEVEN different projects until he narrowed his focus on what his REAL passions were. He created artwork, wrote short fiction and even started several new companies.
He changed his priorities, took action, and never looked back.
So who WAS the workaholic in this story?
Well it was me of course. The OLD me.
But this story isn't rally about me at all. It's about all of us learning HOW to take our power back.
It's also a reminder that we all need to DREAM again. Because, through all those long days and nights the workaholic had forgot what was REALLY important.
Like great friends, and family. And health. He had forgotten why we are all put on this earth. It's simple really - if you have a passion for something, find a way to do it every single day. And that's it.
Be it photography, or horseback riding, or golf, or swimming, painting or drawing, writing, sowing or just about anything.
And that was when the second person in the story arrived.
The NEW me.
The NEW me discovered his passion for writing and story telling. He realized it was a talent he had to share with others.
He realized that if he could write and share his story almost every single day, that it would have an immediate and lasting effect on others.
He realized that inspiring others while doing something he absolutely loved was the ultimate life
hack. The ultimate path to his own self fulfillment.
So the NEW me bucked down and got to work. He started writing and sharing his story and in under a year wrote over one-hundred articles and stories.
He founded The-Inspired.com with readers from across the globe, in 76 countries and counting.
And at www.quora.com over 100k people read his stories each month.
It’s been an incredible journey.
The new me is working again to pay the bills, he’s working for a great company and a great team. But this time he makes sure he take his lunches. He takes breaks and walks. He’s eating healthy and exercising.
And the amazing thing is, he's publishing more articles now. More than ever.
You see, every single morning BEFORE he starts work, he spends one hour writing EVERY SINGLE DAY.
And then he spends one more hour at night writing and editing some more.
He’s discovered that in doing this, he’s building something important: His life work. And even more, he's doing something he loves each and every day. He's not doing this for the money. He's doing it because he loves it.
He’s found BALANCE in his life.
He’s built routines into his day to ensure he is in control of his time.
And he’s never been happier.
And the bonus in all of this. In doing all this writing, he might just might be inspiring others into action too. Helping them find their own way. A way to do what they love too.
Finding balance is about realizing that WE, all of us, have the POWER to decide WHAT is important in our lives and making those things a PRIORITY.
Without compromise.
If you’re in a dark place now, if you’re living a life you didn’t sign up for, take responsibility for how you got there and start working towards the life of your dreams TODAY.
Or as another good friend of mine says...
“If you can see it, you can do it.”
Thanks for reading and I hope this helped someone out there.
For more inspiring ideas, life advice, top 10 lists and life hacks, and to start building the life YOU want to live visit read through the rest of our many articles at The-Inspired.com
Thank you
Goran Yerkovich
The-Inspired.com
